Surgical splint



`(No Model.)

E. DENSMORE.

SURGICAL SPLINT. NO- 485,173- Patented Nov. 1, 1892.

WS/ 75 ,Fave/w Edu/'vnf jezwvwre UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN DENSMORE, OF CORONADO, CALIFORNIA.

SURGICAL SPLINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part `of Letters Patent No. 485,178, datedNovember 1, 1892.

Appnanon inea Aprii 22, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN DENsMoRE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Coronado, in the county of San Diego and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSurgical Splints, of which the following is a specication,

My invention relates to surgical splints. I have discovered thatasurgical splint formed out of the stem of a variety of the yucca-palmmay be made to combine all the desirable qualities of the splintsheretofore made out of wood or metal With those made out of felt; and myinvention consists of a surgical splint formed out of a sheet cut fromthe stem of the yucca-plant, with the fibers ruiming substantiallylengthwise of the sheet.

I have illustrated a form of splintin the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure l shows an edge View of the splint; Fig. 2, across-section on line 0c x; Fig. 3, a cross-section on line y y of Fig.l.

In manufacturing splints according to my invention I cut sheets from thestem of the yucca, preferably by means of a veneer-lathe, which cutsaround the stem, forming sheets of any desired size and thickness. Thesesheets are composed of a loose fibrous texture, in which the bers are toa large extent interwoven or matted, although the general direction ofthe fiber is lengthwise of the stem. There is no distinct grain, as inthe case of wood, and the sheet is porous to a high degree through thethickness of the sheet, as well as longitudinally. The sheet also hasconsiderable stiffness in the direction of the Serial No. 430,224. (Nomodel.)

length of the stem,but is flexible laterally or or across the generaldirection of the ber. Having sheets so formed, I cut the blank into thedesired shape or contour and then press it into the proper form tocorrespond to the part of the body to which it is applied.

The molds in which the blanks are pressed should be made of brass orsome metal which will not be acted upon by the moisture inthe blank inorder to avoid staining the splint, and should be perforated to permitthe escape of the moisture. The blanks are held in the mold and presseduntil they are dry, when they retain perfectly the form in which theyare pressed.

Vhile the material is of the rigidity required, it is very light. It isso porous that Water or air Will pass readily through the sheets, and ittherefore can be saturated with antiseptics if desired. The absence ofgrain, or the peculiar nature of the fiber of which it is composed, (itbeing of uniform texture throughout), renders it possible to molmd` thesheets into any desired shape, and this shape is retained after theblanks are dried in the mold.

I do not limit myself to the particular form of the splints shown.

I claim as my invention- A surgical splint formed of a sheet ofyuccastem, substantially as described.

In testimony WhereofI aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

y EDWIN DENSMORE.

Witnesses:

CHAs. A. FIEWEGER, A. J. ARMSTRONG.

